28. Mercy
MERCY
“Hello?” I said as I drove to my grandparents’ house.
I’d tried calling Givens for the last hour, but he hadn’t answered.
Instead of getting mad, I decided to check on my grandparents since I hadn’t seen them in a few days.
I needed something to do to keep my mind busy, or I was going to pop up at Shai’s house and show the fuck out.
“Can you come pick me up?” Faylin sobbed. “I don’t know what’s going on, but my daddy got arrested, and my mama isn’t here.”
“Wait, your daddy what?” I checked my rearview mirror to ensure the coast was clear, then hit a U-turn to head in the opposite direction. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Faylin cried. “After we left the arena, my mama dropped me off at her friend's house, took my phone, and said she would be back later. I got tired of waiting, so I walked to my mama's house.”
“How do you know your daddy was arrested?” I asked as I sped through a red light. “Did you see him?”
“No, my mama told me before she left. I told her I wanted to go home, and she said that my daddy was in jail and that she would be back.”
“She just left you there?” I asked in disbelief. “Where the fuck did she go?”
“Work,” she sobbed. “She said she had an interview for the Pro-Madness tournament at the east side park.”
“This bitch,” I sighed as I got on the highway. I knew the general area where Shai lived because Givens had mentioned it, but I didn’t know the exact address. “Send me your address.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said. My phone beeped with the text from her with the location, and I put it into my GPS. I was twenty minutes away.
“Are you packed?”
“I didn’t bring anything, remember?” she replied as she sniffed.
“Get whatever you want from there because you aren’t going back.” I got on the highway and slammed my foot onto the gas. “I don’t care what your mama has to say. I’m telling you right now you aren’t going back, so get whatever the fuck you want from there.”
“I don’t want anything,” she denied. “I just want you to come and get me.”
“I’m on my way, baby,” I replied as I weaved through traffic. “But I need to call you back so I can get somebody to look into why your daddy is in jail.”
“You’re coming, Mercy?” her voice started to sound strange, and my heart started beating in my chest. “Coach, you comin?”
“Faylin, baby girl, what’s wrong?” I asked as I gripped my steering wheel so tightly my knuckles started turning colors. “Talk to me.”
“My head feels funny,” she slurred.
“Did you take something?”
“No,” she whined. “All I had was some water when I got here. I was thirs-”
“Faylin!” I yelled when she stopped talking. “Faylin, answer me!” she didn’t reply, and I hit my steering wheel in frustration. I reached into my passenger seat and grabbed my work phone. I dialed Hood’s number and prayed he answered.
“Hello?”
“How far do you live from Shai’s house?” I asked.
“Who is this?”
“Mercy,” I yelled. “Now answer the question. How far do you live from Shai?”
“Not far, what’s wrong?”
“I was on my way to get Faylin, and her speech started to slur out of the blue. Now she won't answer me, and I’m about ten minutes away.”
“Where is Givens?” he asked.
“In jail, apparently, I don’t fucking know what’s going on, but I need to get my daughter, Hood!”
“Alright, I’m in the car now. I should be pulling up at the same time as you. Did you call 9-1-1?”
“No, I called you!” I yelled as I followed the GPS instructions and got off the highway. “I don’t know whats going on, and I don’t have any fuckin’ rights to Faylin. You’re a damn doctor!”
“Alright, alright,” he said. “I’m almost there. I gotta figure out how to get in the house.”
“Call Krude and tell him to get Nine or Cross to do it,” I replied.
“Alright, let me do that. I’ll meet you at the house.”
We hung up, and I prayed for the rest of the drive.
I don’t know what the fuck was going on, but I was not about to let the thought of my daughter not being here with me be an option.
I took a left and then floored it down a main road until I pulled up to Shai’s house.
When I arrived, I jumped out of the car and found Hood standing beside Cross and Nine.
“I said call them, not have them show up,” I said as I approached them.
“We were close,” Cross said without taking her eyes off her computer. “And I wasn’t letting you walk into shit alone.”
“How much longer?” I asked as I paced in front of the door. Shai’s front door was all glass, but I couldn’t see Faylin around.
“Give me-“
“Fuck this.” I walked back to my car and popped the trunk to grab the baseball bat that Deuce had left in my car. I returned to the front door and swung the bat with all my might to break it down. I dropped the bat and walked through the door to find my child.
“Lord, it’s a family trait,” I heard Hood say, but I didn’t stop.
“Faylin!” I yelled as I moved through the house. The living room and dining room were empty, but my heart stopped when I entered the kitchen and found her slumped against the wall with the water bottle in one hand and her phone in the other. “Hood!”
He ran into the kitchen and moved me out of the way. I watched as he checked her pulse. He looked over at me and nodded. “She’s got a strong pulse,” he said as he continued to check over her. “Tell me what happened while you were on the phone.”
“I told you already,” I yelled.
“Tell me again,” he insisted. “Don’t leave anything out.” I went over the conversation again, and Hood nodded. “I think she was drugged. I won't know for sure until I get some blood work done, but that’s what it looks like. We gotta get her out of here.”
“Take her to Madea and Granddaddy's house,” Nine said, entering the kitchen. He stuffed his phone into his pocket and looked around. His gray eyes took in everything. Cross stood next to him with a mug on her face. “My mama is already there and is waiting.”
“Bet,” Hood said, then picked Faylin up. “Let’s go.”
“She alright?” Xoey asked, and I nodded without taking my eyes off Faylin.
It’d been hours since we found her at Shai’s house.
Nine’s mama, Nadine, was waiting for us and started checking her over as soon as we got her in the house.
She’d drawn blood, and we were waiting on the toxic screen to come back.
She’d woken up a few times but was groggy each time.
Nadine said we would have to keep an eye on her, but I didn’t plan to let her out of my sight. “And still no word on Givens?”
“Morning is handling everything,” I replied. “He texted me a little while ago and said that he should be getting out of jail soon.”
Xoey sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Faylin’s hair from her face. “What are you planning?”
“I’m going to drag that bitch up and down the street,” I said without thinking.
“She made a big ass fuss at the arena about being Faylin’s mama and Givens’ woman, and I almost let that bitch get in my head.
" I let out a humorless laugh. “I was so close to believing her and was ready to go upside Givens’ fucking head for being a dead beat.”
“Nah, sis, Light skin thug doesn’t give me deadbeat vibes; you know I would’ve said that shit when I first met him,” Xoey denied, and I nodded.
My phone rang, and I quickly picked it up to see Morning calling. I swiped the screen and said, “Hello?”
“He’s been arrested for DV,” Morning said, and my face twisted in confusion.
“DV?” Standing, I slid from the bed and switched the phone to my other ear. “What are you talking about?”
“Shai is saying that he attacked her,” Morning replied. “She even has video.”
“Givens doesn’t hit women,” I hissed. “Get that shit dropped, Morning.”
“I’m working on it, but the shit ain’t gonna be easy,” he said. “He choked her a few weeks ago, and there's a video of that, too.”
“Video from where?” I leaned against the wall and rubbed my eyes. “And who the fuck has it?”
“Look, I’m going to keep it a buck; this shit ain’t lookin' good on his end. I’m going to work my magic, but Shai already got her foot on this nigga’s neck. She’s online talking about DV and how the Kings need to get rid of Givens.”
“I’ma kill this bitch,” I said, pushing off the wall.
“Yes, friend!” Xoey quietly cheered with a smile on her face. She glanced over at Faylin, who was still asleep, then turned back to me. “I don’t even know what’s going on, but I’m here for it, and I already gathered the troops.”
“Tell Xoey crazy ass to calm down,” Morning chuckled. “I’m about to call in some favors and see if I can get Givens out and see what’s up with all the charges.”
“I appreciate you,” I said, then hung up the phone. I tossed it on the dresser and turned to face the wall. “I need a minute, Xoey.”
“Okay,” she said, then quietly left the room. I squeezed my eyes tight to keep the tears at bay and sighed. I wasn’t a crier, but it was the only thing I could think of doing right now. I softly knocked my fist against the wall and shook my head.
“Mercy?” Faylin yelled as she jumped from her sleep.
I quickly wiped my face and turned to face her. Her eyes were big, and the covers were clenched into her fist.
“Hey, I’m here,” I said as I made my way over to her. I climbed back into the bed and pulled her to me. “I’m here.”
“I thought you left,” she mumbled as she wrapped her arms around me.
“Nah, I’m here,” I said, shaking my head.
“And my daddy?”
“He’s not here yet, but I’m working on it.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her what was happening.
We sat silently for a while, each lost in our thoughts. Madea checked on us a few times, but nobody bothered us.
“My mama said my daddy didn’t want me,” Faylin said. “When she picked me up from practice, we got into it. She yelled that I was supposed to have her back and not like you. That I messed up our family because my daddy only liked you because of me.”
“That’s not true, Faylin,” I denied. “Your daddy loves you.”